SoCon Baseball Recaps for March 2, 2008
FURMAN 10, NEW JERSEY TECH 3
FURMAN 11, NEW JERSEY TECH 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Furman Paladins claimed their second doubleheader sweep of New Jersey Tech in consecutive days with 10-3 and 11-1 decisons over the Highlanders Sunday afternoon at Furman Stadium.
The Paladins have now won five straight to improve to 5-1 on the season. Sunday’s twinbill setbacks dropped New Jersey Tech to 1-6 on the campaign.
In game one, Campbell Lewis’ two-out, three-run triple to right center field broke up open a tight game and lifted the Paladins to the 10-3 win, making a winner of Paladin starting pitcher Jay Jackson (2-0). Jackson tossed six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks while recording a career high 10 strikeouts.
Lewis went 3-for-4 at the plate, as did Joey Rodgers, who also scored three runs. Bobby Hubbard added a two-run triple in the eighth.
The Paladins fell behind 1-0 in the second after Tech’s Mike Turner led off with a home run, depositing a Jackson offering over the left field fence.
Furman took a 2-1 lead in the third before the Highlanders came back with a two run fifth on a two-run blast to left field by Jim D’Aloia to give the Highlanders a 3-2 advantage.
The Paladins answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame with an RBI triple by Marcus Rose, who later scored on a wild pitch by Tech starting and losing pitcher Cory Kuzmik (0-1) to put Furman ahead 4-3.
Rodgers led off the seventh with his third hit of the contest, stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch. After the Paladins loaded the bases with a pair of walks to Hubbard and Ryan Lee, John Paterson worked Highlander reliever Matt Melody for another base on balls to force home Rodgers. Lewis then followed with his three-run triple into the right center field gap to complete the four-run outburst and extend Furman’s advantage to 8-3.
Freshman Chris Newell secured his first collegiate save with three innings of no-hit relief.
In game two Connor Lind drove in three runs and and Lee added two RBI to help finish the Paladins’ four-game weekend sweep with am 11-1 victory.
Sophomore right-hander Justin Hollloway, making his first start on the mound for Furman, earned the win after working four innings in the designated seven inning game. The University of Georgia transfer allowed a run on four hits and two walks while striking out two.
Paladin relievers Barry Benton, Jay Friedman, and Nick Karow followed with three frames of shutout work.
Twleve players combined for 13 hits in the contest for the Paladins, who return to action on Wedensday when the travel to Boiling Springs, N.C., to take on Gardner-Webb in a 3:00 p.m. game.
UNC GREENSBORO 1, CONNECTICUT 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? After eight and a half scoreless innings, a hit by senior Adam Deleo gave UNC Greensboro the 1-0 victory over the University of Connecticut. The win gave the Spartans a 3-0 weekend sweep over the Huskies.
UNCG (5-1) took the game just five batters into the final inning. Following two walks by Matt Karl of UCONN (0-6), right fielder Pedro Leon laid in a leftfield single to load the bases. Deleo stepped up to the plate and with a full count, he sent a shot into leftfield to bring Greg Feltes in for the win.
Both teams tallied just six runs a piece. Leon had two singles. Deleo, Logan Smith, and Corey Overholtzer each had one. Ray Quinones was the only player on the day to hit more than a single as he laid a double to right center in the eighth inning.
Rob Gilliam (1-1) is credited with the win for UNCG. In his six innings on the mound, he struck out six and gave up zero walks and no runs. UCONN’s Matt Karl (0-1) takes the loss after giving up two walks and the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth.
The Spartans will have five games this coming week. They will begin with a 2:30pm road game against Wake Forest on Wednesday. On Thursday, they return home for a single game against Valparaiso at 2pm and the following day, they begin a three game home series against Ohio. First pitch for Friday is set for 6pm.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 11, TOWSON 5
STATESBORO, GA. ? Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) hit a pair of solo home runs to support another solid pitching performance as Georgia Southern completed a sweep of Towson 11-5 Sunday afternoon (March 2) at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles improved to 4-4 this year while Towson dropped to 2-4.
Blackburn put the Eagles on the scoreboard first, nailing a solo homer to start the bottom of the second. It was his third homer of the year, moving into a share of the team lead. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) dropped a two-out double down the left field line. He stole second base then scored when catcher Jason Stifler’s throw sailed past third baseman Steve Yarskinsky.
The Eagles plated two more runs in the third. Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) drew a one-out walk. He stole second then scored on Phillip Porter’s (Marietta/Sprayberry) single into the right field gap. Porter stole second then went to third on Stifler’s second throwing error of the game. Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) hit a RBI double off the right field wall, his first double of the year for a 4-0 lead.
Greg Furmanek hit his team-leading third home run, a solo shot to start the fourth making it 4-1 GS. A walk and error put two more runners on with two outs for the Tigers. Nick Natoli lined a 2-run double down the left field line.
A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) kept his hot bat going, hitting a 2-run blast with two down in the fifth inning. His second homer in as many days extended the Eagles’ lead to 6-3.
Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem) came on in relief to start the sixth. Towson used a walk and three straight singles to plate a run. Ryan Steidl (Randolph, N.J./Morris Knolls) gave up a RBI single as the Tigers made it a 6-5 game, still with no one out.
First baseman Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) fielded a grounder and got a force out at home for the first out of the inning. Shortstop Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) made a back-handed slide on Yarsinsky’s grounder and started an impressive 6-4-3 inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.
GS exploded in the eighth inning to blow the game open. Blackburn opened with his second home run of the game. Benedict added a RBI double. With two outs Miller added a 2-run double then Porter delivered a RBI single for the final margin.
Moye gave up three runs (only one earned) off five hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out four, improving to 2-0. Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) came on in the seventh inning. He blanked the Tigers over the last three frames, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out two. The junior right hander earned his first career save. With 10 Ks already this year in eight innings, Nation has nearly matched his two-year career total of 11.
Blackburn recorded his second career 2-HR game, in addition to two walks, three runs and two RBI. Miller scored two and drove in two runs. Porter finished today with three hits, nine in 14 at-bats throughout the series. Benedict added two hits and scored twice.
Nate Curd (0-1) was charged for six runs (five earned) on seven hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out two. Natoli and Austin Harclerode had three hits apiece as Towson actually out-hit the Eagles 14-12.
Georgia Southern begins a four-game stretch on the road this Tuesday (March 4). The Eagles travel to Bethune-Cookman, first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.
ELON 21, DELAWARE STATE 1
ELON, N.C. -- Mike Lobacz went 5-for-6 with four runs scored and two RBI while Chase Austin knocked home four to lead the Elon Phoenix to a 21-1 rout of the visiting Delaware State Hornets from Latham Park on Sunday afternoon. Elon improved to 9-0, winning nine consecutive games for the first time since a 14-game winning streak early in the 2002 campaign. The Phoenix entered the day as one of only four teams in the nation with at least an 8-0 record. Virginia (9-0), Duke (8-0) and Kentucky (8-0) were the other three. Delaware State is still searching for its first win of the year and now sits at 0-7.
The Phoenix scored early and often, pushing across at least one run in every inning except the fifth.
Elon put up two in the first by taking advantage of two Hornet errors. The first run scored as Chris Dove crossed home after a throwing error on an attempted sacrifice bunt by Donny Jobe was thrown away. Jobe later scored as a fielding error by Delaware State's second baseman allowed Pat Irvine to reach.
The first big inning for the Phoenix came in the second. Elon tallied five runs in the frame to claim a 7-0 edge. Lobacz got things going with a one-out single. Mike Melillo and Harry Austin were each hit by pitches to load the bases before the second out was recorded. Jobe hit a grounder to second which should have ended the inning, but the ball was thrown away at first allowing both Lobacz and Melillo to score. Irvine followed by driving a 1-2 pitch to the gap in right-center for a two-RBI triple. Bennett Davis' single plated Irvine with the final run of the at bat.
Delaware State got on the board in the top of the third. After the first two hitters were retired, Jose Portella drew a walk. Troy Drummond also walked before Jared Lineweaver's single down the leftfield line drove in Portella.
After scoring another run in the bottom of the third, Elon erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning to push its advantage to 15-1. Back-to-back singles from Irvine and Davis put runners on the corners for Ryan Adams. Adams singled back up the middle to drive home Irvine and keep runners on the corners for Chase Austin. Austin drove the first pitch he saw over the wall near the leftfield line for a three-run homer, his first of the season. Lobacz kept things going with a single to left before Melillo was robbed of a base hit when shortstop Jose Sanchez made a leaping catch of a line drive. Harry Austin singled and Dove was plunked to load the bases. Jobe grounded a ball to first and the throw went to second, but could not be handled by Sanchez and all runners were safe. Lobacz crossed the plate on the play. Irvine's fielder's choice allowed Harry Austin to score before a Davis single plated Dove with the seventh run of the inning.
A Jobe triple in the sixth dove home Harry Austin before a ground out from Greg Annarummo allowed Jobe to trot home.
In the seventh, Melillo singled home a run while Cahse Austin drove in one and Lobacz knocked in two in the eighth to provide the final scoring on the day.
The five-hit outing for Lobacz was the first five-hit performance for a Phoenix player this season. Every Elon starter had at least one hit, including Jobe whose 1-for-4, three-run, two-RBI day extended his hitting streak to nine games. Davis and Harry Austin both logged three-hit performances.
Delaware State was held to just four hits, including a 2-for-4 day for Jarrett Bibb.
Cory Harrilchak (2-0) earned his second victory of the week for Elon. Harrilchak lasted 6.0 innings and gave up just one run on three hits while striking out five. The trio of J.D. Reichenbach, Daniel Britt and Thomas Girdwood allowed just one hit over the final three innings and each fanned one.
Josh Schmidt (0-2) was tagged with the defeat after allowing 14 runs (seven earned) on 13 hits in 3.1 innings of work.
On the weekend, Elon outscored Delaware State by a 44-8 margin. The 21 runs scored by the Phoenix were the most since a 24-run outburst in a win against Appalachian State last season.
Elon will return to the diamond on Tuesday in a 4 p.m. game against Triad rival High Point from Latham Park.
NIAGARA 10, DAVIDSON 7
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Niagara senior Tim Alberts went 5-for-5 from the plate, and Davidson could not replicate yesterday's late-inning heroics as the Wildcats fell 10-7 to the Purple Eagles Sunday afternoon at Wilson Field.
Alberts had two doubles, a home run and five RBIs for Niagara (2-1), and Frank Kurnik was 3-for-5 with a double.
Junior Brett Shore, junior Zach Kayne, Jay Honeycutt, and freshman Matt Ray each had two hits for Davidson (3-5).
The Wildcats trailed 10-6 with two outs in the ninth inning and Brennan Baker on second base after a doubling to left field. Shore singled, and Kayne followed with an RBI single to score Baker and make the margin 10-7. Chase FitzPatrick walked to load the bases and bring up Honeycutt, who already had a home run and three RBIs to his credit on the day.
Niagara pitcher Mark Sikorski got Honeycutt behind in the count 1-2, and the sophomore swung through strike three to end the contest. Sikorski got the save after allowing one run and three hits in 2.1 innings of work.
Trailing 1-0, Davidson posted five runs in the third inning. Kayne plated two runs with a single, FitzPatrick singled in a run and Honeycutt drove in two with a single. The Purple Eagles took a 7-5 lead with six runs in the top of the sixth on the strength of four doubles. Alberts' double down the left-field line with the bases loaded did the most damage.
The 'Cats got one back in the bottom of the inning when Honeycutt led off the frame with his team-leading fifth home run of the season, but Niagara made the margin 9-6 on a Chris Leendertse two-run double in the eighth. The Purple Eagles added an insurance run in the ninth, when Andrew Macdonald drove in a run with a single up the middle.
The Wildcats return to action with two games at Auburn March 4 and 5, before returning to Wilson Field to host Quinnipiac and Yale for two games each, beginning March 7, at 6 p.m.
CANISIUS 9, APPALACHIAN STATE 4
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. - Appalachian State University baseball banged out 13 hits but 11 men left on base and three errors proved too costly to overcome in a 9-4 loss to Canisius on Sunday afternoon at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.
With the setback, Appalachian (4-5) dropped the four-game weekend series to visiting Canisius (7-1), three games to one.
David Rubinstein (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg) and Jerod Faggart (Concord, N.C./Northwest Cabarrus) both went 4-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Mountaineers' 13- hit showing. Two of Rubinstein's four hits were doubles, giving him four two-baggers on the young season and 46 for his career, just one shy of moving into fourth place on ASU's all-time list.
Despite the offensive prowess, Appalachian stranded seven of its base-runners and committed all three of its errors in the first six-and-a-half innings of the ballgame en route to digging itself a 9-0 hole. Three of Canisius's nine runs were unearned.
The Apps rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but again left two men on base and failed to get any closer the rest of the way.
Matt Andress (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg) surrendered three earned runs over six innings to suffer the loss and fall to 1-1 on the season. Canisius' Shane Davis (2-0) tossed 5.1 shutout innings to earn the win.
Ian Choy, Kevin Reimer and Kevin Mailloux each had three hits to lead the Golden Griffins offensively.
Appalachian will look to rebound from the disappointing weekend when it travels to High Point for a mid-week affair on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 2, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 1
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. -- Ben Tootle pitched six strong innings and Steven Leach delivered a two-run double in the third inning that propelled Jacksonville State to a 2-1 win over College of Charleston in college baseball action before 408 at Patriots Point Stadium on Sunday.
The Cougars, who fell to 6-2, play host to Savannah State in a 5:00 start on Tuesday. Jacksonville State improved to 2-6.
After Mike Hentz gave Charleston a 1-0 second inning advantage with an RBI single, the Gamecocks used a two-out rally to take the lead in the third inning. Bert Smith reached on a bunt single and Todd Cunningham walked putting runners at first and second. Leach lined a double down the right field line on the first pitch to give Jacksonville State a 2-1 lead.
Tootle (1-0) allowed a run on just three hits with nine strikeouts over the first six innings. Alex Jones struck out three over the final 1 1/3 innings to earn his first save. Jake Goldberg (0-1) was the tough-luck loser for Charleston allowing only two runs on six hits over eight innings of work.
ALBANY 6, WOFFORD 4
SPARTANBURG, SC ? The Wofford College baseball team was defeated 6-4 by Albany on Sunday afternoon at Russell C. King Field, but won the four-game series 3-1. The Terriers left eleven runners on base and could not come back from a five-run fifth inning by the Great Danes.
It was the first loss of the season for the Terriers, who are now 6-1 on the season. Albany is now 2-5 on the year. Wofford had 13 hits in the game, but scored only four runs, the lowest total of the season. In addition, the Terriers were held without a home run for the first time.
After four scoreless innings to open the game, Albany broke the game open with five runs in the top of the fifth. Tom Zink singled, then an error by the Terriers allowed a run to score and Zink reached third base. A single by Brendan Rowland scored Zink. Additional singles by Gary Pitcheralle and David West scored two more runs as the Great Danes went up 5-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, a single by Michael Gilmartin to centerfield scored Emre Caglayan and Jake Willams to make it a 5-2 game. In the bottom of the sixth, a sacrifice fly by Sterling Dye scored Kyle Behrendt.
The Great Danes added a run in the top of the seventh on a single by Mike Konstanty, which was matched by the Terriers with a sacrifice fly by Neil Robinette to score Shane Kirkley to make it a 6-4 game.
Albany went 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, then Wofford left one runner on base in the second half of the inning. Heading into the ninth inning, the Great Danes left a runner on base, leaving the Terriers two runs down in the bottom of the ninth.
Mo Seay opened the ninth with a single, but the next two Wofford batters fouled out. Kyle Behrendt reached first on an error, sending the winning run to the plate. Emre Caglayan struck out swinging to end the game for the Terriers.
For Wofford, Pete Noordsy started his first collegiate game and went six innings with three strikeouts, while Reid McElveen added three strikeouts in the final two innings. For Albany, Josh Willimott went five innings with four strikeouts and Sean Gregory had two strikeouts in the save.
The Terriers will visit Clemson on Wednesday, March 5 at 4:00 pm before returning home next weekend for doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday against Niagara.
WESTERN CAROLINA 9, MARSHALL 7
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. ---In what has become a familiar occurrence for the Western Carolina baseball team, they came back from an early deficit to defeat Marshall in the first game on Sunday at the Baseball at the Beach Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
In their three victories this season against Marshall, the Cats have had to come back from at least three runs down to take home the win.
Marshall (2-4) struck first in the game, scoring four runs in the opening inning, three of which came on a three-run homer by the Herd right fielder.
The Catamounts responded in the top of the second, when senior Jason Haynes dropped a single into left field, scoring Matt Johns, who had reached on a double over the right fielder’s head. Haynes then moved to third when he stole second, then advanced on a throwing error. WCU loaded the bases with a walk by sophomore Nick Liles and when senior Barrett Shaft was hit by a pitch. Fellow senior Blake Murphy was then hit by a pitch, scoring Haynes and cutting the Marshall lead in half, 4-2.
In the bottom of the inning, junior right hander Mike Tavernier came in for an injured Iain Sebastian and made an immediate impact, throwing two perfect frames, including three strikeouts.
Liles extended his team-high hitting streak to six games in the top of the fourth, when he doubled into the left field gap, scoring Johns. Liles then swiped third base, and was brought home in a grounder by Shaft to pull the Cats even at four.
WCU took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth when Johns singled through the right side of the infield, scoring freshman Ryan Mathews, who had moved to second on a balk by the Marshall pitcher.
Western then retook the lead for good in their half of the sixth. Junior J.C. Lyons doubled home Shaft to tie the game at six, then the Catamounts scored a pair of runs on back-to-back sacrifice flies to push the margin to two, 8-6.
Tavernier struck out a career-high eight batters on the day, more than doubling his season total of six coming into the game. In seven full innings on the mound, he allowed only one earned run on five hits while throwing 116 pitches. With his performance, he picked up the win to go to 2-0 on the season.
Liles tied Haynes with three hits on the day, both players going 3-5. Lyons and Johns both registered a pair of hits, leading seven total players with base hits in the game.
COASTAL CAROLINA 7, WESTERN CAROLINA 1
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. --- Western Carolina allowed seven runs in two innings in the second game of the day, and fell to the host Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, 7-1.
Tyler Kirkpatrick’s bloop single into left field scored Brent Greer for the Catamounts’ only run, in the top of the second inning.
WCU was able to ring up seven hits in the first five innings, but could only get the one run across, leaving five runners on base.
Starting pitcher Garrett Ozar began the game holding the Chanticleers hitless for the first 4.1 innings. But in the fifth, CCU finally broke through, scoring two runs on a double by Chance Gilmore to go up 2-1. They scored another run on a wild pitch with a man on third, stretching the lead to 3-1.
The following inning, CCU (7-1) punched in three more runs to extend their margin to 6-1, courtesy of a pair of errors by the Catamount defense, and a two-out double by Gilmore, his second of the game. Gilmore was then brought home on another double by Coastal Carolina, giving them a six-run lead.
Despite out-hitting the Coastal, 10 to 7, the Catamounts were held scoreless for the last seven innings, and out of the ten hits, only two went for extra bases.
Nick Liles extended his season-long hitting streak to a team-high seven games on the first pitch of the contest, which he lined to left center field for a leadoff double. On the day, he went 3-5 with a pair of doubles. Liles now has multiple hits in all but one of his games this season.
With the loss, the Catamounts finish their weekend at the beach with a 1-3 record, dropping them to 3-4 overall. Western will travel down to Atlanta, Ga., on Tuesday for an out-of-conference tilt with Georgia Tech. The game will be a homecoming for Head Coach Bobby Moranda, who was a part of the Georgia Tech staff until he came to WCU this season.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 4, THE CITADEL 3
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? The Citadel threatened late but was unable to rally from a 4-0 deficit as the Bulldogs dropped a close game to NC State, 4-3, in the final game of the Charleston Firefighter Memorial Challenge presented by the Charleston Crab House Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 1,458 at Riley Park.
The Citadel (4-3) allowed NC State (4-2) to take the 4-0 lead before the ?Dogs could get a run across the plate. Wes Wrenn (0-1), who was responsible for all four Wolfpack runs, was credited with the loss.
NC State’s Eryk McConnell (1-0) was credited with the win after pitching 6.0 innings and giving up only one run off four hits, holding the Bulldogs hitless until the fourth inning.
Jimmy Gilheeney (1) earned his first save of the year after pitching 1.1 innings and striking out all three Bulldog batters in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win.
Chris Swauger scored two of The Citadel’s three runs in the game, but did not record a hit. Altman went 2-for-4 on the day, leading the Bulldogs offensively.
The Citadel threatened in the eighth as leadoff man Matt Simonelli earned a free pass to first after being hit by NC State reliever Jake Buchanan. Buchanan then walked Chris Swauger to put runners on first and second. Richard Jones followed with a groundball to the mound as Buchanan threw to third to force Simonelli for the first out.
Sonny Meade drove in Swauger from second as a hit Buchanan’s second offering to NC State’s centerfielder Devon Cartwright, who fired it to third to catch Jones on the force out. The Wolfpack then brought in relief pitcher Jimmy Gilheeney who issued a walk to Chris McGuiness, advancing Meade to second. Gilheeney ended the Bulldog threat as he forced Bryan Altman to ground out to the mound.
Gilheeney struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to end any further chance of a Bulldog comeback in the game.
Raymond Copenhaver struck out both batters he faced as he pitched 0.2 innings, replacing Brett Bull in the ninth after Bull had walked two straight.
The Citadel scored three runs on seven hits and committed one error as the Bulldogs left six runners stranded. All three runs came late in the game as The Citadel scored one in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
NC State scored all four runs in the first six innings as they recorded nine hits and left eight runners on board.
The Citadel continues their 14-game homestand to open the season as the Bulldogs host USC Upstate on Tuesday, March 4 at 6 p.m. at Riley Park. Bulldog fans worldwide can watch all of the action live on Bulldog Insider with Darren Goldwater bringing you the play-by-play.